Australians understand stuttering

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The Australian community has been given a big tick for its understanding of people who stutter  even those they have never met.

Professor Ashley Craig and colleagues at the University of Technology, Sydney, investigated community stereotypes of people who stutter. They have submitted their findings in a report for publication.

Anonymous telephone interviews were conducted with members of 502 households in New South Wales. The researchers found that a substantial proportion held negative stereotypes of people who stutter, believing them to be shy, self-conscious, anxious and lacking in confidence.

Such stereotypes can lead to unfair discrimination (such as denying employment to a person who stutters, even though they are just as capable of doing the job), or prejudice (such as believing a person who stutters is inferior).

However, most of those who took part in the study felt they would not be embarrassed talking to someone who stutters. They also believed people who stutter have average or above average intelligence and are capable of holding down responsible job positions.

Professor Craig said the results showed the community had a good understanding of people who stutter.

"Australian public stereotypes towards stuttering are in part negative, but these community beliefs have not, on the whole, resulted in prejudice and discrimination."

He said evidence shows that living with stuttering can result in higher than normal levels of anxiety and this can lead to shyness, social fears and avoidance of speaking. Here the negative stereotype does reflect an understanding of what it is like to have a stutter.

The study is the first of its kind to randomly select people from the community who have never had any direct contact with people who stutter.

According to Professor Craig, this is important because there is evidence that contact with people who stutter removes negative stereotypes.

"So if you interview friends and family, you're not really tapping into true community stereotypes," he said.

Stuttering occurs in two-four per cent of children and nearly one per cent of adults. It is believed to be caused by a neurological disorder that affects a person's speech. The study showed most people still believed past theories that stuttering was caused by anxiety and / or parental pressures.